AppleInsider was right that it would have been great as a concept. Too bad Samsung pushed it into production. Agree that Fold 1.0 won't ship.
Bleeding edge is never easy and other companies have failed harder on non-bleeding edge. Boeing did 737 Max and Apple failed on 3 generations of butterfly keyboards. Samsung isn't the only company with dysfunctional product management.
I read a few of the reviews, and it's comical how kind and sympathetic various reviewers were, while "reviewing" a turd that just broke on them with zero abuse, in a span of 24-48 hours. Every single review should have been absolutely brutal on this thing - but the ones I saw weren't at all.
I have no idea who would buy this device even if it were proven durable. 2 grand? Are you kidding me? For a fat, heavy phone with an off-center display with huge bezels, that opens up into a bad version of a mini tablet? People still laugh at the notation of a $1k phone, then turd comes along and doubles that figure. I have NO idea what these guys are thinking.
If only there were some sort of "testing" that could be done, prior to shipping this to the customer.
Like, if only there existed the technology to repeatedly open and close this device, through a temperature cycle, thousands and thousands of times; just to see if the product was robust enough to be delivered to the customer.
But, that would require a company that gave a crap about delivering a quality product.
I'm sure the good folks at Ikea would love to show them one of their many robots that they use for repetitive open/closing testing.
If only there were some sort of "testing" that could be done, prior to shipping this to the customer.
Like, if only there existed the technology to repeatedly open and close this device, through a temperature cycle, thousands and thousands of times; just to see if the product was robust enough to be delivered to the customer.
But, that would require a company that gave a crap about delivering a quality product.
So apart from lambasting Samsung (which we all love to do here), what the hell is so attractive about a folding screen? Why would anybody want it? I know there are some junior geeks out there that think a folding screen is the best thing since free porn, but they’re a clueless bunch. You’d think Samsung would know better than to listen to that drivel. But no.
A folding screen seems like a solution in search of a problem. Designing in a mechanical failure mode into a device that, by its nature, will see a lot of shock and vibration exposure is asinine! And then on top of it all, serious design and manufacturing quality escapes. Who’s minding the store at Samsung? Unbelievable!!!
Huawei's not saying a word because -- while I have no doubt their build quality will be better than this piece of utter garbage -- the screen is on the OUTSIDE of their folding phone. The fundamental problem here is that the folding material is very soft by its nature, and must be handled with extreme care in order to continue functioning. This technology is impressive and neat, but it is simply not ready for real-world use.
Samsung gives experimental product to some beta testers, responds to feedback, delays launch. Move on everyone.
Who said the Galaxy Fold was an experimental product? Samsung didn’t give the Fold to beta testers, they gave them to product reviewers as it is/was a product meant to arrive in consumer’s hands. It’s not like they were handing out prototypes trying to find where the product could be improved, this was meant to be the final product.
BUT BUT BUT FIRST!!111
Honestly, I fully expected this. People were using this as an example of shit on Apple's LACK OF INNOVASHION and I knew damn well that without an Apple template to work from, it's likely that Samsung could only release a broken product. Which they did. This is peak Samsung. They're an insecure company that constantly feels the need to "prove" how innovative they are, which almost always results in the release of gimmicky, broken features and products.
This product, at least this version 1 edition, will be shuttered. The issues are too fundamental for it to be adjusted and then released. Samsung is telling us a few weeks from now they will give us a new release date. Nope. Samsung will use this next three weeks to refund any deposits and attempt to quietly cancel any pre-orders. Then they will make a very brief statement about working on the product and then we’ll hear nothing more.
At least, if they’re smart that’s what they’ll do.
Samsung is very good (if not the master of) showcasing grand plans only to quietly shut them down and hope no one notices.
This product launch was laughable to say the least. This is literally having users become beta testers. If Apple did this, the world would be demanding Tim Cook's head, but Samdroids are used to hearing about Samsung's management being thrown in jail.
Good news for Samsung is that at that price, they must have known no one would buy it so it can't be too expensive to bin the stock they have. They might even be able to split the thing into two phones and sell them at cost.
Pathetic. Apparently, this is what happens when Samsung doesn't have Apple doing their R&D for them.
I am waiting with bated breath to see how Huawei et. al overcome this issue: anyone want to bet?
Does Huawei offer its Fold smartphone to reviewers too?
It is scheduled for a summer release (June, possibly). Some journalists have received the phones for hands ons use but they were not review units. They will come nearer the release date. Early impressions are very favourable but logically, folding phones will live or die (literally) by their robustness and that will take years to evaluate in the real world. That said, the real world is by far the best place for that to happen. Early adopters will probably receive special support options like Huawei PD users receive.
Here is the opinion of someone who used the Mate X for two weeks:
I read a few of the reviews, and it's comical how kind and sympathetic various reviewers were, while "reviewing" a turd that just broke on them with zero abuse, in a span of 24-48 hours. Every single review should have been absolutely brutal on this thing - but the ones I saw weren't at all.
I have no idea who would buy this device even if it were proven durable. 2 grand? Are you kidding me? For a fat, heavy phone with an off-center display with huge bezels, that opens up into a bad version of a mini tablet? People still laugh at the notation of a $1k phone, then turd comes along and doubles that figure. I have NO idea what these guys are thinking.
Dieter Bohns review was sickening in how he was apologizing for their phone breaking and saying that with all the other problems he still loves it. The Reek of tech journalism there (GOT reference). They rest I saw was more along the way of infatuation.
I don't understand why it's even possible to peel off part of the display. That's just bizarre. Regardless of whether there's a warning, that's just cheap and easily broken.
Sounds like something looking to be ripped off by you two year old while they are watching a movie on you phone when stuck in traffic.
But they were first!!! well not really, just first in a line of first. But Samsung does not think people should have to wait in line to for better quality, so they give you this.
I can’t think of a Korean company that isn’t just a knockoff of ideas of others. Hyundai, Kia, Samsung all come to mind
I read a few of the reviews, and it's comical how kind and sympathetic various reviewers were, while "reviewing" a turd that just broke on them with zero abuse, in a span of 24-48 hours. Every single review should have been absolutely brutal on this thing - but the ones I saw weren't at all.
I have no idea who would buy this device even if it were proven durable. 2 grand? Are you kidding me? For a fat, heavy phone with an off-center display with huge bezels, that opens up into a bad version of a mini tablet? People still laugh at the notation of a $1k phone, then turd comes along and doubles that figure. I have NO idea what these guys are thinking.
Some of the "kid glove" reviewers even redirected from calling a turd a turd to focus on the device's superior battery life. Yeah, I guess when the screen isn't working the dead slug doesn't use much power at all. Could go for weeks without recharging in its new role as a $2k paperweight and pocket ballast. But I guess you could give Samslung some credit fo trying to build something new all on their own and without Apple's guiding hand ... but ... but ... hell no, they tried to play with the big boys and tripped on their own soggy diaper. C'mon Sammy, time to send another one over to the Island of Misfit Toys.
AppleInsider was right that it would have been great as a concept. Too bad Samsung pushed it into production. Agree that Fold 1.0 won't ship.
Bleeding edge is never easy and other companies have failed harder on non-bleeding edge. Boeing did 737 Max and Apple failed on 3 generations of butterfly keyboards. Samsung isn't the only company with dysfunctional product management.
What are the defect rates on Apple keyboards? Apple says it’s a very small number of users. Known pro-trolls like Joanna Stern say it’s more, but, known pro-troll. And still no actual repair numbers.
Bloggers saying a thing doesn’t make it a thing. Remember the brief outrage over bending iPads?
Comments
Bleeding edge is never easy and other companies have failed harder on non-bleeding edge. Boeing did 737 Max and Apple failed on 3 generations of butterfly keyboards. Samsung isn't the only company with dysfunctional product management.
So apart from lambasting Samsung (which we all love to do here), what the hell is so attractive about a folding screen? Why would anybody want it? I know there are some junior geeks out there that think a folding screen is the best thing since free porn, but they’re a clueless bunch. You’d think Samsung would know better than to listen to that drivel. But no.
A folding screen seems like a solution in search of a problem. Designing in a mechanical failure mode into a device that, by its nature, will see a lot of shock and vibration exposure is asinine! And then on top of it all, serious design and manufacturing quality escapes. Who’s minding the store at Samsung? Unbelievable!!!
This product launch was laughable to say the least. This is literally having users become beta testers. If Apple did this, the world would be demanding Tim Cook's head, but Samdroids are used to hearing about Samsung's management being thrown in jail.
Here is the opinion of someone who used the Mate X for two weeks:
Who knows what what they’ll do in the rest of the world... maybe they will, maybe they won’t. You’re their employee — why don’t you tell us?
Bloggers saying a thing doesn’t make it a thing. Remember the brief outrage over bending iPads?